In context: TechSpot regulars and fans of Gearbox or the Borderlands franchise may recall that, in May, publisher 2K Games opted to let a series fan with terminal cancer – Trevor Eastman – play the game early. It was a kind gesture and one that hasn't gone unnoticed by other Borderlands fans.
On Reddit and other social media platforms, Borderlands players have expressed their support for the decision and the dying fan alike.
Now, it's Gearbox's turn to earn some positive PR and generate goodwill with the community; a happy coincidence, given the many controversies CEO Randy Pitchford has been at the center of lately (including allegations that he assaulted Claptrap voice actor David Eddings during 2017's Game Developers Conference).
In a new post following up on his story so far, Eastman revealed that Gearbox allowed him to name an in-game shotgun after himself. Naturally, the weapon is called the Compressing Trevonator," with a custom description (also penned by Eastman) that reads "Trev is gunna get you!"
It may not be the most creative name or description, but it wasn't intended to be, according to Eastman. "...I was just trying to be funny and it just came out as cheesy," he stated in a reply to another Redditor, who asked if there was any lore or story-related reference behind the gun.
It's not uncommon for game developers to pay tribute to fans who have passed or have terminal illnesses, but it's nice to see Gearbox join their ranks. We wish Eastman all the best, and hope he has enough time to shoot a few mutants with the Trevonator for himself when Borderlands 3 launches later this year.